Sharp Blade, Sharp Mind
by not.quite.a.pencil
Summary: It was always Zoro's goal to become the world's greatest swordsman, but to do that she had to hide her gender and disguise herself as a man. Her focus and will were always unbreakable, but Luffy is making it harder to stay as she is now. And how will the pervert cook act when all is revealed? Following the One Piece series. Gender Bender. Luffy x Fem Zoro, with a confused Sanji
1. Chapter 1

**This story is adopted from Jhonie, who wrote the first two chapters which was one chapter on their page but I wanted the first chapters to be shorter so I cut it in half. Obligatory disclaimer: I don't own One Piece.**

The sky was a crystal clear, pristine blue with no strong winds altering the picturesque scene. The bright sunlight was merciless and slowly cooking my flesh, but that wasn't my main concern. I was starving. Day spent being tied to this wooden post without food or water left my body worn and tired.

But that didn't matter though. I'll get through this month no problem and then that bastard son is going to be in for it. Potential murder plans swirled in my mind as my eyes drew heavy. With nothing else to do I allowed my mind to drift off to step for a quick nap.

Hurried steps drove me out of my slumber, one steady and confident and the other was hesitant, timid. Then a straw hat peaked over the wall that acted as a perimeter around the marine base I was being kept in. Attached to that straw at was a boy, a teenager of around seventeen, maybe a little older, with dark unruly hair tucked under his hat, a curious, but goofy expression on his face and a scar under his left eye. Muscled arms help him up on the tall stone wall, which was surprising considering his scrawny frame. Then another boy appeared nest to the straw hat, younger this time with pale pink hair with a nervous and pained expression, round glasses and a small frame.

The two just stared at me for who knows how long they looked at me, I don't really know, but it was irritating. The pinkette looked like he was about to piss himself while the older kept his strange expression on his face. It wasn't something most people would do, especially if they know about my reputation, and most do.

There was a soft 'thump' and someone else popped over the top of the wall. Instantly I recognized her as the girl who brought me bits of food now and again. Every time she appeared I would tell her to get lost, but she never listened.

She approached without hesitation, without fear and I could see a small bundle in her hands, wrapped in a thin cloth. Unwrapping the fabric I saw two plain rice balls and my mouth began to water, stomach growling.

"I made you some rice balls, onii-san!" She said with a bright smile on her face.

Groaning inwardly, both from hunger and frustration. I kept on turning her away, trying to keep her safe but she just kept on coming back.

"Don't want them." My voice was low and scratchy, partly on purpose and partly because of my dry throat. "Just get out of here and don't come back."

I saw the straw hat smirk from my peripheral, but I ignored him and his scared friend and redirected my attention to the little girl who was staring up at me with big, round eyes.

"But I made them just for you, they should be yummy and you haven't eaten for days!"

I sighed mentally, drained. "Whatever, just book it."

"So you're still alive, eh?" Shit, the bastard son walked out to me, cocky smirk on his face. Of course he was acting brave, but it was only because he had his father's name and lacking's behind him. He had no actual power, but acted as if the world should bow at his feet.

And that really pissed me off.

With his stupid bravado still on his face he grabbed one of the rice balls from the little girl, took a large bite only to spit it out a second later, ranting about how it was too sweet. Snatching the other ball and stomped the food into he ground and tears fell from the girls round brown eyes. Rage boiled in my blood, to a make a child cry was horrible, especially when she was just being nice.

I growled, baring my teeth.

"Still clinging to life?" The bowl-haired bastard sneered, turning up his nose.

"You just remember your promise."

He chuckled and if I wasn't tied to this post I would of bashed his stupid face in. "Yes, if you survive a month you'll be free to go.."

"Only nine more days." I said, a bit softer then my usual loud and gruff speech. Nine more days and I get to kick his ass.

He left with a snide huff, disappearing into the marine bass. Once the bastard son was left that straw hat appeared in front of me, the girl having left with a marine escort.

"Still here?" I asked, ready for another nap. "You should probably go before someone calls 'daddy'."

He shrugged, not appearing to be bother. "I'm looking for my pirate crew."

A pirate? "So you're willing to lower yourself to become a petty criminal."

The black haired teen's expression changed to a deep frown. "What's wrong with being a pirate?"

There were several things wrong with being a pirate; being a criminal, and immoral, among other things. The list could go on but I chose not to say anything and just replied with a snort.

"So are you going to untie me and have me join your crew?"

Tipping his hat back a bit, his face changed into a slight smile, almost a smirk if his face didn't have that goofy look about it. "I haven't decided yet. People are saying that you're a bad and I don't want anybody bad on my crew."

I responded again with a snort. "Whatever, I refuse either way. I have my own goal to accomplish and I can do it without your help. That bastard said he'd let me go after one month." My eyes narrowed into a glare, the thought of that ass-wipe making my blood boil. "I will survive and fulfill my promise."

The boy laughed, smile growling. "Oh yeah? If it were me I would've starved to death in a week!"

His words put me at ease and I had to fight down a smile that threatened to tug at my lips. "There's a big difference between you and I. You'll have to look for your crew else where."

With a confident smile he turned to leave. He's stubborn and he'll be back. As He walked away a thought and I called out to the pirate. "Hey."

Stopping, he turned to face m again but this time with a questioning look. "Yeah?"

"Could you pick them up?" I gestured to the rice balls that the bastard son had pretty much destroyed.

He picked them up with a questioning look, examining the muddy food. "You're going to eat these?" He asked. "They're more mud then rice balls."

After being tied to this post for almost a month I wasn't picky anymore. "Shut up and just give them to me." He did as I asked and I ate the destroyed rice balls. The bastard son was right to say that they were sweet, but I didn't care, mostly because I was starving and then because that little girl said that she made them for me and me alone. That creep was just over exaggerating. Although the dirt did make me choke slightly.

"I tried to tell ya."

I ignored him and held back the urge to scoff at him. Instead I asked him to pass along a message for me. "When you see her, that girl, tell her it was good. Thanks for the food."

He just smiled at he with a look that made me want to stare and reciprocate his smile with one of my own, but I willed the urge away. The male left after that and I kind of wanted to ask him to stay.

* * *

><p>I had fallen asleep again at some point and had woken up when the straw hat returned.<p>

"Hi!" He beamed. "My name's Luffy! Wanna join my pirate crew?"

I blinked, waking up a bit before snorting at his question. "I already told you no."

He pouted slightly, but them his face changed into a determined smile. "I've already decided that you're my nakama!"

"Don't decide these things by yourself!"

Continuing to ignore me he redirected the conversation. "I heard that you can use swords?"

"Yeah, but that bastard son took them." I seethed, disgusted that the bowl haired creep touched my precious swords.

This caught his attention, his grin large and charming. "Okay, I'll get them back for you! Then you'll have to join my crew!"

"That's blackmail!" Before anything else could be said Luffy raced off towards the base, kicking up dust on his way.

Shortly after Luffy left his four-eyed friend appeared. He was looking around for his friend frantically.

"Oh, he went into the base."

"What?! He's insane!" The pinkette practically screeched

Can't really disagree with that. "Yeah, who the hell is he anyway?"

He didn't answer, instead he started to untie the ropes that bound me to the wooden post, pulling on the woven strands.

"What are you doing? Get out of here!" I was ignored again and his eyebrows furrowed in concentration. "Hey?! Didn't you hear me? I said scram Four-Eyes!"

He just frowned. "They can't treat you like this, it's not right!" Grinding his teeth slightly the pinkette continued to work without looking away. "It's beneath the marine's dignity!" Someone loyal to the marines trying to release a criminal. And why was he friends with a pirate? When I questioned him about he paused and smiled up at me. "I'm going to righteous marine and Luffy is going is going to be King of the Pirates! He saved me and I wouldn't of had the courage to follow my dreams without him, so he's an important person to me!"

"King of the Pirates?" I scoffed, that guy really was insane.

Four-eyes only laughed, returning to the ropes. "I know, I was surprised that too, but he's serious."

I receded into my thoughts for a moment only to be pulled back when a shot rang out and the pinkette lurched back, blood staining his sleeve.

After several minutes of yelling at the boy he was brought out of his shock and started screaming, clutching his bleeding arm. "I told you to scram, you're lucky it was only your arm so leave before you get shot somewhere important."

Instead of listening to me he sat, shaking, then stood on unsteady feet. Wobbling over to me, determined continued to unravel the ropes. "Hey!" I yelled, frustration making it hard to keep my voice low. "Leave damn it!"

"Not until I free you!"

I growled in frustration, no one ever seemed to listen to me anymore. Maybe because I'm not as intimidating tied to a wooden pole.

"They'll let me go at the end of the month, just focus on saving your own ass."

"They lied! They had no intention of letting you go!" His voice rose in volume. "You're going to be executed in three days!"

Irritation ate away at my gut, I went through hell for nothing! "That bastard son promised to let me go after a month!" I raved.

"It was all a lie. That's why Luffy hit him in the first place!"

I blinked. Really? He didn't even know me.

"The marines are already you enemy." Four-Eyes went on. "Please, I beg you! Help Luffy. I'm not asking you guys could get away!"

Before anything else could be said the marines boomed into the courtyard, weapons pointed at us, ready to kill.

Well shit.

The lieutenant, a large man with a steel jaw ad axe hand, strode forward, oozing a murderous and confident aura. "Stop right there!" One of lower ranked marines commanded. "You will both be executed here and now for mutiny against Lieutenant Morgan."

The leader shouted commands at his subordinates, ordering them about preventing the straw hat from escaping. Then the lieutenant spouted shitty nonsense about 'titles' and 'being superior'.

"You three were amusing. Were you planning a coup d'état?" He sneered at four-eyes and I. "Roronoa Zoro, I heard rumors about your strength. But before my power you are still too weak."

This guy was seriously pissing me off, his ego and attitude was even bigger and more annoying then his son's. If I had my swords this guy would've been in pieces.

Then a thought ran through my mind like a freight train.

Unless some miracle happens and my swords suddenly fall into my la, I was going to die. I was going to die without accomplishing my goal of becoming the greatest swordsman in the world. All of the work I did, hours upon hours of training. My life was for nothing.


	2. Chapter 2

**This is the second chapter of my fem Zoro fic, and the last chapter based on Jhonie's work. I had written both chapter 1 and 2 together but was only going to post one today. But I'm posting this one for Mr. Indigo, glad you like it. Obligatory disclaimer: I don't own One Piece.** **Please enjoy!**

"Fire!"

My eyes squeezed shut, not ready for the bullets that would pierce my flesh.

But they never hit.

Opening my eyes I saw the straw hat teen had leapt in front of me, blocking the bullets. His head was turned back to me, that goofy grin still on his face and I felt my heart skip a beat. This boy, barely my age, had risked his life to save mine.

Except he was fine, no ruby blood staining his already red vest. Instead the bullets bounced back at the marines, leaving them yelling in surprise. I was shocked into silence while the pinkette beside me had fainted.

Unperturbed, Luffy just laughed and turned face me fully. It was then that I realized that he had my swords strapped to his back.

"Who the hell are you?" I asked when I found my voice.

"I'm the man who's going to be King of the Pirates!" He said with a laugh.

It's strange, but I didn't doubt him anymore. Something about him just made me think that he could actually fulfill his ambition.

He held out my swords. "I didn't know which one was your so I took them all."

"They're all mine. I fight with Santoryou."

Amusement flicked across his face before he turned to the marines again. "If you fight with me you'll be considered a criminal. If you don't you'll be executed. So what will you do?"

I chuckled, this guy was impossible to argue with, but if found that I didn't mind anymore. Instead I actually enjoyed the idea. "Well if the other option is dying, then fine. I'll become a pirate!"

Luffy let out a shout of joy, throwing his fists into the air as he cheered. Even though I didn't express it with anything other than a small smile, I felt the same joy he did. His happiness is contagious. But this wasn't the time to celebrate. Tired of waiting for people to untie me I cut the ropes with one of my swords.

Within seconds of freeing myself, the marines were upon us, swords drawn. I blocked all of them without a problem and uttered a minor threat to the marines before turning to my captain. "I'll become a pirate, but I'm fighting for my own sake. I will become the World's Greatest Swordsman." A smile appeared on my face at the mention of my dream. "And since I'm already on the wrong side of the law I don't mind becoming a pirate. Being feared or admired, it doesn't matter. But I'll warn you now, if you hinder me or my dream, you will die by my sword."

He didn't look surprised, instead his expression was amused again. I had a good feeling seeping through my body, infecting every inch of me. Even though this Luffy guy was a little annoying, i liked him and his determined attitude, his loyalty to his friends and his goofy grin.

"Sounds good! The World's Greatest Swordsman is the least you'd expect as the first mate of the Pirate King!" His grin was infectious and this time I didn't try to hold down the smile that tugged at my lips. Our contract was sealed, I was the first mate to the Future King of the Pirates. It's hard to remember the last time that I traveled with company. And even though my new captain makes things... interesting to say the least, I knew that this was good. Even despite the fact that we were in the middle of a battlefield.

And then my new captain told me to duck and I didn't question him. That is, I didn't question him until his leg stretched out and knocked the marines over. I had to ask just what the fuck he was.

"I'm a rubberman!" Luffy announced, oozing with pride.

A devil fruit? I always thought they were just stories. I brushed off my surprise, feeling like I'm going to be getting pretty familiar with surprise with Luffy around. I could've dwelled on this more, but there was still work to be done.

Luffy and I worked well together, holding our own against the horde of marines and within minutes, the only marine left standing was an enraged Morgan.

While fighting Axe-Hand, Luffy left his back open, a test. It wasn't impliel, there was no communication, but I knew. Words were not needed.

When Morgan swung hard with his axe it never made it to the flesh it was seeking.

Instead it met the steel of my sword.

I cut him down easily and Luffy smiled, making my stomach flip. Maybe it was because I was starving.

"Nice Zoro!"

"That was nothing Captain."

It was as simple as that.

* * *

><p>Eating a proper, hot meal was so damn good. I ate countless servings, losing count after six. Luffy continued eating long after I switched to just booze and I don't even know where he puts all of that food. I was weird watching someone eat as much as me, let alone more.<p>

Four-eyes, Coby I reminded myself, was here too, sitting with us along with Rika, the little girl who made the rice balls. We were actually in Rika's mother's pub, which was packed with people celebrating Morgan's defeat.

"So where are you going next?" I asked when Luffy had come up for air, his cheeks still full of food.

"To the Grand Line!"

Sounded good, fun even, but Coby disapproved. "Won't you stop being so crazy all the time!" The pinkette scolded. "You can't go to the Grand Line with just the two of you! That's suicide! Don't you get it? All of the greatest pirates in the world are there!"

That's the fun part.

"But that's where the One Piece is!" Luffy protested.

"God you really are crazy."

The conversation carried on for a while, and I'd interject some comments and opinions in between mugs of booze. Even though I drank more than anybody should, I didn't feel the effects of the alcohol, not even buzzed. I didn't really pay much attention until Coby said something that made me choke on my drink.

"You know Zoro-san, you're a lot smaller than I thought you'd be."

I sputtered into my drink. Usually if someone said something like that they'd wake up in a ditch, or not at all, but I wouldn't do that to someone who I considered a somewhat close acquaintance. Instead I struggled to swallow my drink, but when I did I muttered "I get that a lot."

It was true though. I wasn't much taller than Luffy, and that was with my boots giving me an extra inch. But I had more defined muscles from untold hours of hard, strenuous training, sculpting my body and helping me look more manly.

Then the marines appeared in the pub and all went quiet, my hands twitching for my swords. But instead of attacking they thanked us and even recruited Coby into the marines.

Large, wet tears rolled from his eyes and smeared on his glasses. Luffy smiled at his friend, silently congratulating him on moving towards his dream. Honestly, I was happy for the guy. Luffy had told me about how he met Coby while making his way through his ninth serving of food. The little guy went through hell to make it this far.

The entire town waved us off as Luffy and I set out in out small boat. Coby and the marines saluted us, Rika and her mother waving while the rest of the town cheered. A strange send off for pirates. I can't imagine how the rest of our journey will turn out.

* * *

><p>"Ne, Zoro?"<p>

"Hm?" Lazily, my eyes opened, looking at my captain who sat across from me in out small, wooden boat. He couldn't be bored already, we've only been at sea for about a quarter hour.

"Why do you dress like a boy? I thought girls typically dressed like girls?"

My eyes widened and panic seeped into my veins. Then it was all washed away when I looked at my captain, a curious look on his face, no malice or judgment.

"Because it's my dream to be the World's Greatest Swordsman and girls can't be swordsmen." My teacher told me so, Kuina died with that belief weighing down her heart.

"That's weird."

"Hm?" I raised an eyebrow.

There was an annoyance in his eyes. "Yeah. Why can't they do that? Girls can be really strong too!"

A warm hearted smile grew on my face and I didn't try to stop it. This guy, my captain, didn't care what I was and it was refreshing to know.

When I took a nap moments later my mind was at peace.


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you for the positive response! I'll try to upload a new chapter every weekend, but I'm not promising anything. On another note if anyone likes the anime Durarara! then check out the summery for Days in Ikebukuro and leave a request for it if you wanna! Its just a personal goal. Anyway, obligatory disclaimer: I do not own One Piece.**

The sun was beating down on our small boat as it lulled by the gentle rolls of the ocean. A beautiful day really.

If it wasn't for my captain.

"Ugh! I'm so hungry."

That's all I've heard for the past hour.

"You know, it's funny that you have absolutely no navigational skills." I snapped, tired of being lost.

"Why?" He asked, sitting up and crossing his legs/ "I've always just wandered around."

The conversation continued as we laid on your backs on the deck's warm wooden planks. It felt nice. Maybe even peaceful.

Until Luffy tried to catch a giant bird, wanting to eat it, which led to me chasing him in the boat, muttering "Damned idiot" and other rude things.

And after chasing after the bird and Luffy for a few minutes some bandits came out of the ocean and tried to take the boat, but after a swift beating they were rowing for me as we continued in the direction that Luffy left in.

"Oh yeah, why were you three drifting in the middle of the ocean anyway? Especially without a boat." I asked as a reclined against the railing. It would be a good time to take a nap.

"Glad you asked!" Then they began ranting about some girl, that was apparently cute, who they found in a drifting boat. She tricked them and took their boat and treasure, leaving the pirates stranded. I wasn't really paying attention until I heard about her being able to predict the weather. Someone like that would be useful, especially with Luffy being such a hopeless navigator.

"If I find her I'm gonna kill her!" They continued raving.

"But first we need to get our loot back!" A particularly ugly one reminded. "If we go back empty handed Buggy-sama will..." He gulped, afraid to continue.

"Who's Buggy?" I asked, hoping the explanation was short.

It wasn't.

With shaking bodies and panicked expressions they told me about their boss. Buggy was apparently incredibly strong, known across the ocean and some other stuff that I didn't really listen to. After hearing about this Buggy's strength I just wanted to fight him.

So instead of listening to the rest of the pathetic pirates story I just leaned back and let the three row the island where their boss was, hoping that's I'd run into my own captain there as well.

When we finally docked the small boat at the island's port the town was completely empty. And I didn't just mean that there wasn't any people, there weren't any seagulls or stray cats and dogs looking for scraps to eat. There weren't even any of the rats that would usually be lurking around ports.

"What the hell? Where is everybody?"

"Yes, well our Buggy and the crew is here raiding this village." One of the pathetic pirates said sheepishly. They were afraid that I'd beat their faces in again.

"What do we do? What will we tell Captain Buggy? We got nothing now!" The three pirates stained, wringing their hands nervously.

"Well I better meet this 'Buggy' guy then, he might know something about where Luffy is." I said to no one in particular.

So the three pirates led the way to their captain but they got lost along the way so it took more time to get there. But when we finally arrived I heard my captain before I actually saw him, his loud voice was impossible to not recognize. Then other voices, yelling and shouting, could be picked out from the chaos. The three lackeys that had followed me so far let out a shriek and ran in the opposite direction.

Idiots.

Don't they know the fight is in this direction.

Racing towards the commotion I felt my heart race in anticipation. Hopefully this battle will actually be a challenge. For all of Morgan's boasting he wasn't that hard to beat. It was laughable really.

Entering the fight my eyes searched for Luffy, finding him trapped in a small cage, gnawing on it's metal bars. That idiot.

A sigh escaped my lips, keeping this guy out of trouble was just impossible.

Then I realized what Luffy was shouting at, a young woman with bright tangerine hair, battling with a bow staff who was about to be killed by several pirates rushing her from behind.

Acting on instinct I blocked their attack with the sheath of my sword. "Just how many of you are going to attack one girl?"

"Zoro!" Luffy shouted, smile large and proud.

"Ah?" The girl turned to me, muscle stiff and expression pained.

Knocking out the attacking men I address the girl, resting one of my swords on my shoulder. "You okay?"

"Yea," She breathed. "I'm fine."

"Yay! You found us Zoro!" I turned to my smiling companion, feeling relief spread through my body with the knowledge that he was still in one piece. "Now cut me out this thing quick!"

"Is this your idea of fun?" I huffed, ignoring the relief and focusing on my frustration with the male. "You get carried away by a giant bird only to find you locked in a cage? How the hell does that happen?!"

Whispered began to swim through the crowd of pirates.

"Did he just say his name was Zoro?"

"Do you mean the Pirate Hunter Zoro?"

"Then why the hell was he saving a thief?"

"This is the crew member that guy was talking about..." The redhead breathed, disbelieving. "... the Pirate Hunter Zoro?! I don't understand."

Then a large, and kind of ugly, man appeared, dressed like a clown. Even with the red lining his lips, large shoes and bright red ball nose.

I wonder if it would honk if I squeezed it.

"You're definitely Zoro." His voice was shrill and irritating, brimming with confidence.. "Are you here for my head?"

"No, I'm not a Pirate Hunter anymore." I'm too busy trying to keep that Straw Hat knucklehead alive.

A cold laugh erupted from his red-lined lips and he pulled several large knives from his captain's coat, four for each hand. "Ah, well I'm interested in your head Zoro." He spun and twisted the knives with practiced ease. "If I kill you I'll become even more famous!"

"Tch." Cocky bastard. Not wanted to deal with the Clown's inflated ego I turned away, placing my sheathed swords back into their place on my hip. "If you don't wanna die then you better leave." I warned, crossing my arms over my bound chest, glaring at the clown.

A roar of encouragement came from the crowd of circus freaks, baiting their captain into falling into a fighting stance and rushing me. "You'll be covered in you own blood if you don't show your skills!"

"If that's what you want, then fine!" Before the blue-haired clown could reach my, me swords were drawn and ready. Lashing out with my blades steel sliced through the captains flesh, cutting through his middle, arms and legs. Laughter ripped from his mouth instead of screams. Guess that was just a clown thing.

"What? That guy was so weak?" Luffy exclaimed, disappointed.

"Oh my god." The girl gasped.

Devious chuckles came from the crowd and it gave me an ominous feeling deep in my stomach.

"Hey Zoro! Hurry up and let me out!" I replaced my swords and went over to my trapped captain, his hands gripping the metal bars of his cage.

"It won't open without a key. And iron won't slice. I argued, tapping the cage rhythmically with my fingers.

"Really? Hmm..."

By now Buggy's crew had busted out into full blown laughter and it was a bit unnerving. They had just seen me murder their captain and were laughing hysterically. It's just strange.

"Just what the fuck is so funny?!" I asked, irritated by their loud chuckles. They didn't answer. "I don't feel like killing you all so just give us the key." I threatened, teeth grinding.

"Wow, they're pretty weird." Luffy commented from his cage.

"Can't argue there. I - !" Piercing pain rippled through my body and I fell to my, red blood staining my clothes. My hand instinctively gripped Wado's handle, but I didn't pull it out of it's sheath.

"Zoro!" I heard Luffy shout, his voice panicked and concerned.

"What? That hand?!"

"Damn it!" I exclaimed, ripping the blade out of my oozing side. "The hell is this!?"

Turning around to face my attacker I had to pause when I saw it was just a floating hand gripping a knife dripping with my blood.

"Shit."

I held down my throbbing side as I drew my swords.

"The Section Section Fruit!" A familiar voice came from behind me and I turned to face the man that I thought was dead, ignoring the pain in my side in favor of defending myself from anymore attacks. "That's the name of my Devil Fruit! No matter how many time you cut me it won't matter because I'm a Sectioned Man!" With that his severed hand connected seamlessly with the rest of his body.

Well fuck.


	4. Chapter 4

**Wah! Dear Lord, I've written this chapter so many times. Not because I had to rewrite it, but because it didn't save. So I'm frustrated. Anyway, so I'm changing my goal to updating every week or every two weeks. Obligatory disclaimer; I don't own One Piece.**

I huffed, blood oozing through my clenched fingers as I tried to stop the bleeding in my side.

"I see I missed your vitals." Buggy sneered, a devious grin on his face. "But it's still a pretty serious injury so I'll call it an okay victory!" The clown laughed.

And that pissed me off.

I already knew that Buggy had eaten a Devil Fruit, and I was careless. I mea, ugh! Shit! I'm here to save Luffy, but look at me now!

"The Captain is so cool!" The crowd cheered.

"Kill him!"

"End him!'

The circus pirates egged on their leader while all I could do is stay where I collapsed on the ground, supporting all of my weight on my knee.

"ATTACKING SOMEONE FROM BEHIND IS DIRTY!" I turned to see Luffy shout, face contorted in rage, vein bugling in his forehead. "YOU BIG NOSE!"

With that comment everything stilled into a stiff silence. Then a collective gasp came from Buggy's crew, while the aura around their captain darkened into a cold, murderous rage.

"IDIOT!" The redhead raved. "You could've said anything else!"

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING BIG NOSE!" The clown captain exploded , voice cracking slightly as he spun his knives angrily. With a shout one of his hands detached from his arm and shot at Luffy with accuracy, blade ready to kill.

Panic surged through my body and I could feel my erratic heart beat in my chest. "Luffy!"

There was a swift 'snap' as Luffy broke the blade after catching it in his mouth. I'm surprised that mouth can be used for something other than eating.

"I swear, I gonna take you down!" Luffy vowed, spitting out broken shard of the blade. "Nobody hurts my nakama!"

"Hahaha!" Buggy laughed. "Take me down?" Laughter rolled through the plaza in endless burst as the clown captain tried calm his giggles. "You're hilarious! You three are going to be the ones to die here, and by my hand!" Another fit of chuckles came from the clown and his crew.

I could only seethe from where I kneeled, occasionally spitting out blood as it collected in my mouth. This situation was total crap. I was useless right now. I felt vulnerable. It made me feel like a child, it reminded me of when Kuina died and I couldn't do anything to save her.

And I hated it. It made my teeth grind and my blood boil.

"Zoro!" Luffy shouted, bringing me out of my pathetic musings. "Run away!"

"What?!" I screeched, octave raising to a more natural octave, as I sat straighter to nurse my injured pride.

"What about you?!" The redhead girl asked. "Your friend came to save you and you tell him to run away?"

I stared blankly for a moment, mind racing. Then, everything became clear in my mind. I always followed my instincts and I won't stop now. "Okay."

"You really think I'd let any of you escape?!" The clown captain yelled as hands gripping blades came at me like bullets.

I strained to block the knives as I pushed myself off the ground, sprinting towards my target. The levitating knives kept following my, trying to pierce my flesh but only meeting the metal of my own swords.

"Zoro's running away!" One of the lackey's laughed.

"You think you can escape our Captain?!" Another joined in.

Avoiding the blades I reached my goal and braced myself against the hard surface of the canon, its cool metal pleasant my feverish skin. My arms strained as I lifted the nose of the cannon onto my back and pointed it in the direction of Buggy and his crew.

Instantly chaos erupted throughout the crowd of pirates, all them scrambling to get out of the way while screaming in panic. Even Buggy's eyes grew to an impossible size and screamed. "That still has a 'Buggy's Cannon Ball' in it!" His voice raising an octave.

Spinning, I turned to the redhead. "I need a light!"

"Y-yeah!'

Now lit, the cannon began to spark, sizzling noise coming from it's hollow cave.

"No! Stop it!" Buggy pleaded.

Then a flash of light blinded me and I covered my ears as a loud explosion ripped through the town, destroying anything in its wake. Dust and dirt kicking up, clouding the plaza in a thick fog.

After a few moments the light dissipated and the dust began clear, but the confusion and chaos provided good time to make our escape. "Okay, time to go." I said as I approached the cage that kept my companion contained. Then I turned to the tangerine haired girl caught my attention. "So who are you anyways?"

"Oh, I'm a thief."

Well that's not any worse then a pirate.

"That's our new Navigator!" Luffy said with a wide grin.

"Your still on that!" The thief screeched, finally showing some fire. "You idiot! If you've got time to say things like that then why don't you think of a way out of that cage!" She shouted, face contorting in rage, muscles stiff and fists clenched.

"Hey, that's a good idea! I'll do that!"

If we left the planning to Luffy we'd be here all day. "No, it's okay. Just stay in there." Then, bracing my muscles for the strain, I gripped the bars of the cage and began to raise the heavy box up. In the distance I could here Buggy's crew begin to recollect themselves.

Groaning, I felt blood flow freely from my would.

"Zoro! It's okay! Your stomachs gonna pop out!" My captain tried to warn, but I refused to listen. It's my job as first mate to my captain out of trouble.

"If it wants to come out then let it!" With a final heave the heavy cage was off the ground and balanced on my shoulders. "Don't tell me what do!" I could feel blood the blood flow speed up but I did nothing to stop it.

Despite my bravado, my body soon began to wear down. My head was spinning and my limbs hurts but there was a satisfaction that I felt deep in my bones even as I collapsed on the empty cobblestone road.

We got away. Everything is okay. We were okay.

"I can't walk anymore!" I complained from where I was sprawled on the street, my caged companion. Resting for a moment I allowed my eyes to fall shut only to open again when I felt the presence of something else near. But I didn't expect to see a snow white dog sitting right in front of me, blank stare on his long face. "What's with this dog?" I asked after a few minutes of awkward silence. I can't help but wonder if it was real or not.

"Hey its a dog!" Luffy observed, pointing out the obvious. "But its not moving."

"Whatever." I commented, no longer interested, as I propped myself up against the railing of the shop we stopped by. "What the dog does is up to him. We have bigger problems like getting you out of that cage."

"I think it's dead." Luffy ignored me and poked the dog in the face, earning him a dog biting his face to his face and not letting go.

That escalated into a strange fight between the two and it ended with Luffy laying out in his cage, arms and legs through the bars, the god returning to previous position and I was still sprawled out on the road. I don't know how long we were there, but it wasn't more than an hour before a shadow passed over us.

"What are you guys doing?" The thief questioned, looking down at us in more ways then one. "If you just stay in the middle of the street then you'll be found in minutes."

"Hey its our Navigator!" Luffy exclaimed.

"Says who!" The thief screeched, calming down a moment later. "I just came to repay my debt. You saved my life back there." "Repay?" What?"

With a sly smile and a flick of the wrist the thief dropped a metal key in from of us. "The key! You stole it!" My captain shouted, a proud smile on his face.

"Yeah, it was a dumb thing to do." The tangerine haired girl sighed. "Because of that I couldn't steal any treasure." She said regretfully.

"Thank God! This cage problem gave me a headache!" The blackette laughed, relief on his features.

"Finally, some good luck." I exhaled. Despite a string of unfortunate events during the past couple hours things were looking up.

Until the unusually still dog swallowed the key.

Then a collective gasp and electricity crackled through the air.

Immediately the Straw Hat's hand grasped at the dog and began to shake it, eyes bulging out of their heads. "You stupid dog!Spit it out! That wasn't food!" And just like before, the two began fighting again. How they were able to fight through he cage bars, I couldn't say.

Even though the situation was shit, the fight was amusing to watch.

"Oi! What are you doing to ShuShu?!"

Turning around a slightly older man came into view, wearing unusual armor over summer wear and a pair of circular glasses on his nose. His expression was angry and his stance tense.

"ShuShu?"

"Who are you?" I asked, curious about the strangely dressed man.

"I'm the village leader." The elder said with pride. "So essentially I'm the Chief!"

Things went smoothly after we explained that we were fighting against Buggy and his crew. After the introductions we found out that his name was Boodle and the rest of the villagers were living just outside the village. There was a sense of relief knowing that the people of this town were alive and not taken care of my Buggy.

It didn't take long for the chief to notice the pool of blood on the ground. Instantly Boodle's demeanor changed, becoming protective and almost fatherly, insisting that I get some medical attention.

Luffy encouraged this and in the end I followed to chief to his house that laid a little more then a block away. Even the man offered to help me walk, or even carry me, but my pride wouldn't allow it. So I walked slowly behind Boodle, limping slightly and hand pressed down on my side.

Despite being the village chief, his house was no better then the rest of the homes in the town. But it was still nice, especially compared to some of the other places I've stayed.

It wasn't until he asked for me to lift my shirt for him to examine my wound that I realized what was happening. Panic filled my body and my muscles tensed. He would see the bandages that held my chest down. It was one thing for Luffy to know, but this guy was a stranger.

"Zoro-san, I've raised my children, seen them off into the world and I can tell when a child is uncomfortable." I tried to protest being called a child but I was cut off by his words. "If you would rather, I'll the supplies and let you treat yourself. As long as that hole gets patched up I don't care who does it, but only if you want to."

"Yeah." I muttered. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. It's the least I could do for someone fighting as my ally." He approached the door, turning back to me he smiled. "Feel free to use the bed to sleep as long as you need. It'll be good for you."

And with that I was left alone.

With practiced ease I cleaned to deep wound, it was a clean and missed anything vital so it should heal quickly. It was simple to wrap the wound, especially because I bound my chest down everyday.

By the time I had finished binding the wound my body and mind felt the full effects of the day and its stresses. Grapping my swords and toeing off my boots I climbed under the covers, inhaling the scent of lavender and nuzzling into the plush mattress. Almost instantly I felt myself slip into sleep and with my last moments of consciousness I cuddled my precious blades close to me. Then I fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

**This chapter would've been out sooner, but my server crashed and I couldn't access my fanfiction account. I don't know if this happened to anybody else, but it scared the butts outta me. Anyway, thanks for the support! I wouldn't be as motivated to keep this story updating regularly without all of the encouragement from everybody! Obligatory side note: I do not own One Piece.**

**As a side note, I was thinking of a good place to end this story and was thinking of a little after the end of the Alabasta arc. Let me know what you think of that in the comments and please check out some of my other stories too!**

Loud chaos brought me out of my sleep roughly.

"Hey Zoro, you still alive?" My captain called.

"Ugh." The rubble of the Chief's house laid around me. "That was one hell of a wake up call." I grumbled, running a hand through my cropped short hair. "Yeah, I'm alive."

Luffy smiled. "That's a relief."

"Just how did you survive...?" The thief asked, eyes wide.

Before I could question the redhead I was interrupted by the Chief. "Ugh! This isn't right!" He growled, hand over his heart and a scowl causing his face to wrinkle slightly. "Do you think I'd let these pirates trample my home? That Buggy has no right to treat our village like this!" Boodle shouted, fists clenched. "I am the Chief! I won't let anyone harm what we worked so hard for!" With that the spectacled man started marching towards Buggy and his crew, only to be stopped by the thief.

"Wait a minute!" She pleaded, holding Boodle back.

"Let me go!" He screeched.

"It's too dangerous, and reckless!"

"I know it's reckless!" He announced, a small bundle of tears gathering in his eyes. Then he ran off, shouting threats towards anybody that threatened his home.

That old man had balls.

I respect that.

"The Chief... was crying." The female said softly.

"Really? I didn't see anything." Luffy commented, tipping his hat back a bit.

"This is getting fun." I said as I pushed myself out of the rubble, patting away the dust that had gathered on my clothes.

"Hehe, yeah." Luffy laughed, eyes bright and excited.

"How can you laugh? He could die!" The redhead screeched.

"Don't worry. I like him. He won't die." Luffy smiled.

"Where do you get this confidence? Don't you get what kind of situation we're in?!"

"We're going to the Grand Line. Now we need to go and steal that map!" Luffy announced, ignoring the females distress, reaching a hand out to the thief. "Will you join us? You need the map too right?"

Her expression became dark. "I will never become a pirate." She slapped Luffy's hand, refusing to shake it. "But I'll 'cooperate' with you guys to achieve our goals."

That was enough to send Luffy into a small fit of joy, a large grin on his face. It warmed me up to see that smile. Only my captain made me feel so at ease with such a simple act.

"Alright." I pulled my bandana off my arm and reached back behind my head to tie it, covering my short green hair. "Let's head out."

"You're going too?" The thief question, disbelieving. "What about your injury?"

"All healed." I smirked.

Well, mostly anyway.

"Yeah right." She snorted. I should really find out what her name was, can't really go around calling her 'redhead' and 'thief' forever.

"More important then the injury to my body is the one to my name. All I did in the last fight was get hurt and I can't let that stand." I rested my hand on my swords. "Should we go?"

"Yeah yeah! Let's go!" Luffy chanted, cracking his knuckles.

* * *

><p>With Boodle's head start he got to Buggy and his crew faster then we did. By the time the three of us got there a levitating hand gripped the Chief's throat, lifting him up off the ground slightly as he was strangled.<p>

Without any hesitation, Luffy stormed into the plaza and ripped the hand away from Boodle's throat, allowing the man to fall to the ground on his knees. "I kept my promise." He glared at the clown. "I've come to beat you up."

"You morons!" Buggy laughed as his separated hand reconnected with his arm. "You're all going to die here!" He shouted from the roof of the pub in the plaza.

"Listen. I don't care if you guys fight or not. I'm just here for the treasure and the map." The thief said with a fist resting on her hip.

"Yeah, we know." I muttered, anticipation flowing through my veins. I was ready for a rematch.

"All of you..." We turned to the old Chief. "What are you doing back here?" He said from where he was kneeling on the ground, gasps of air coming out between words. "This is my war!" Boodle got to his feet, determined. "It's my job to defend the village, so don't interfere!" He shouted, fists clenched tight.

Before he could continue raving Luffy threw him against a nearby wall with surprising speed, knocking the spectacled man out cold. Gasps were heard from all around as the plaza went silent.

I guess I wasn't as used to his unpredictability as I thought.

"What the hell was that for?!" The navigator shouted, obviously pissed off by the brash action. "Why did you do that?!"

"'Cause he would just get in the way."

"Smart thinking. If he was left conscious he would've just dove in recklessly." I commented. "Probably would've gotten himself killed. It's better for him to just sit this fight out."

This didn't pacify the redhead, who continue to yell at Luffy, scolding him like a child. But the Straw Hat didn't pay her any attention. Instead he turned to glare at Buggy with an intensity that made a shiver run down my spine.

"Hey, ugly Big Nose!" Luffy called to the raised clown captain.

All of the opposing crew's jaws dropped, eyes open wide in fear while their captain ground his teeth in anger, vein visible on his forehead even from this distance. "Fire the Buggy Special Cannon-Ball!" He commanded, voice cracking slightly. "Fire!"

Shit!

"You idiot!" The female shouted as she sprinted away. "Are you trying to get yourself killed?!"

"Oi! Move it Luffy!" I hollered, pulling on my captain's arm, but he wouldn't be moved from the spot. He stood tall and proud, a determined glare in his eyes. If we weren't in such a panicked state I could've just stared for hours.

"You think I'd move just because of some cannonball?"

The large projectile shot at us and panic began to spread through my veins. I could cut a regular cannonball in half no problems, but these Buggy Specials were more volatile then any other cannonball I have ever seen. Cutting one of these would just make it easier to the explosion to kill us.

"Gum Gum" Luffy inhaled deeply, his body expanding into a large, round shape. "Balloon!" The cannonball bounced off of his enlarged stomach, sending it back towards the circus pirates who could do nothing as the building they were residing in was destroyed in a flash of light and dust.

"He bounced it back!" I heard the thief breathed from somewhere behind us.

The dust cleared, giving was to the chaos that was left behind. The pub was on shambles, no longer resembling anything close to a building. Some of the circus pirates laid about the rubble and it was hard to tell whether or not they died in the explosion.

"Ugh." I sighed, exhausted with my captain, the palm of my hand flat against my forehead.

"Yeah!" Luffy laughed, hand resting on top of his straw hat. That seemed to be a bit of a habit for him. "They don't have as many people now! Let's get started!"

"What the hell are you?!" The redhead cried from where she fell to her knees in shock, face panicked. "I don't get this at all! It's like when you fought the lion and came back perfectly fine! "She continued to bellow. "How can you just swell up like that?"

"Gum Gum Balloon." The blackette corrected, crossing his arms.

She pushed herself to her feet, eyes never leaving my captain. "I'm not asking for the name, idiot!"

Rustling came from the rubble of the building and we turned, surprised to hear the laughter that ripped from the moving pirates. It sounded darker then any other chuckle, more cynical.

"You don't seem to be afraid." Buggy's voice called out. Crew members rose from the debris like animated corpses only to be dropped by their captain, crumbling limp on the ground.

"He used his own crew as shields."

"Humiliating." One of the surviving pirates muttered.

"This is infuriating!" Buggy shrieked, blades already spinning violently from one his white, gloved hands.

Then a strange man wearing a strange outfit made of white fur sprang up from the carcass of the building, enraged by the damage done to his lion. That rage quickly turned to panic when he saw Luffy standing there. "The Straw Hat kid!" He cried out in surprise. "Captain Buggy be careful! He has Devil Fruit powers too! He's a rubberman!"

"A rubberman?" The thief questioned, turning to Luffy.

"Yeah! Wanna see?" The blackette responded, stretching his cheeks out to an impossible length before waiting for a reply. Releasing the stretchy flesh, the skin retracted instantaneously.

"A Devil Fruit?" The clown captain mused before turning to his strangely dressed crew member. "Mohji, if you already knew that then why didn't you tell me earlier!" He bellowed as a fist shot out and punched his subordinate into the air, flying towards me and my companions only to be kinked out of the way by our residential rubberman.

"Let's get started."


	6. Chapter 6

**Okay, I'm pretty proud of myself for finishing this chapter early. I'm not very good at fight scenes so I apologize ahead of time, but I'll try to get better with practice and input from you guys! This chapter is a bit longer then the others. There would've been either two shorter chapters or one longer one, so I went with the later. Anyway, I was thinking about adding in some extra trips to other islands and the likes along the way, so if there's something you'd want to see then let me know and I'll see what I can do. Obligatory disclaimer: I don't own One Piece.**

One of Buggy's lackeys, a strange man who used a unicycle instead of walking and had rows shaved into one of the sides of his head, pulled a sword from his opened mouth. The shock of seeing somebody keeping a sword in his body kept inside of their body almost made me hesitate when he charged my captain.

Almost.

With astonishing speed the swordsman maneuvered his unicycle and rushed Luffy. "I'll avenge the pain you've caused my crew!" He cried, sword raised and poised to strike.

Drawing two of my own swords, I raced to my captain's side, raising my blades to block the enemies steel. "If we're using swords then I'm all for it." I glared at the cyclist, ignoring the pain in my side as my wound began to ooze through the bandages. Something so insignificant, in my eyes, couldn't keep me out of a fight, protecting my captain and pride.

"Roronoa Zoro." The swordsman gloated, his blade still putting pressure on my own. "To think that I'd get to the swordsman that defeat you is truly an honor."

Ignoring his comment I focused on how to beat this bastard.

"Hey Zoro, I think it's better if I fight him." Luffy called to me. "You go rest of a bit."

The suggestion offended me. Just because of my injury my captain has lost faith in me. No matter how much my side throbbed I'll how Luffy my worth!

A short chuckle rang from the cyclist's mouth before fire erupted from his lips. "Acrobat Technique 'Fire Trick'!" The flames burst into my face, tanning my skin with the intense heat as it obscured my vision. I let out a grunt as the swordsman took the opportunity to drive the point of his shoes into my side with a powerful kick, hitting me square in my now bleeding wound.

The force of the kick and the pain felt from it made me cry out. My legs gave out from under me, unable to hold myself upright, and I fell to the ground, shivers of pain ripping through my body.

"Fuck!" I cursed, trying to get my bearings again. "Damn it!"

"What's this?" My enemy sneered as he circled around on his irritating unicycle. "I didn't think I you _that_ hard." He smiled in a sickeningly sweet way, a glint of amusement in his eyes.

"That was a dirty trick!" I heard the thief shout, but it sounded a bit fuzzy.

As I pushed myself from the ground the opposing swordsman scraped his blade lightly against the dust covered earth. "Acrobat Technique 'Murder Mist Trick'!" With a large swing of an arm, a cloud of dust covered our little arena, obstructing my vision again.

"That's some trick." I muttered, throat raw from breathing in the dust that overtook the air.

There was soft sound and I brought up my swords in defense, effectively blocking my enemies blade just in time. I didn't get a chance to counter to the swordsman driving his foot into my side again.

Pain erupted throughout my body as my nerves felt like they were being set on fire. I cried out unwillingly and I had to bite my lip to hold back any other whimpers that threatened to escape.

"It's pathetic." The opposing swordsman mocked. "A grown man rolling on the floor." He continued to swivel on his unicycle. "Even though you're a 'pirate hunter' you made the mistake of challenging the Buggy Pirates."

I gasped for breath, trying to full my lungs with air but every gasp felt like another stab. My body was shaking, blood oozing from my wound that opened up during the fight. I pushed myself up to my knees, eyes focusing intently on the ground.

"I knew it. Fighting with an injury like that is suicide." I heard the redhead cry out. "Why are you just watching?! He's going to die!" She yelled at my captain.

"Roronoa Zoro!" The cyclist rushed me again. "Go to hell!" He raised his swords, ready to strike.

Acting without hesitation I gave myself a final push off the ground and drove the my fist into the bastards face, avoiding his sword while holding onto my own. It felt good, ever since I first saws this fucker I wanted to hit him straight in his smug mug. "What an annoying guy!" I growled, standing back up to my full height. "Did you think tearing me up was fun?" I questioned, shifting my weapons slightly to get a better angle.

I sliced my blade through across my side, right over my open wound. All around me I heard the surprised noises and gasps.

Inhaling deeply, fresh air finally fueled my lungs properly, reinvigorating my body and mind. "My goal to become the greatest swordsman in the world!" I announced, placing Wado's hilt in my mouth and holding it there. "I guess you would need me to be injured to have a chance of defeating me." My mocking tone concealing the slight shakes that raptured my body. "Lemme show you how different we are."

"Wah! So cool!" Luffy cheered me on and I smiled around the hilt in my mouth. "GO ZORO!"

The opposing swordsman glared at me, but his expression was still slightly amused. "You fool."

"I won't lose to anyone that calls themselves a swordsman! Not even once!" I growled, eyes narrowing into slits.

"You're pretty determined." The strange swordsman challenge, falling into a fighting pose with ease. "But don't worry, you use your injury as an excuse after I beat you!"

"No way!" I scoffed, laughing slightly.

His smile turned sour. "Asshole." Moving his sword to the side, he pulled out several spinning tops, each about the size of the palm of my hand. "Have a taste of the best trick I have! Acrobat Technique 'One Hundred Tops Typhoon!" He cried, launching the tops at me. There were too many to count, and he used that distraction to ride up the side of a nearby building on his unicycle.

With a few slashes of my swords that tops were easily destroyed but they served their purpose of distracting my attention. Above me the swords-bastard was preparing for another attack.

"Ground Runner 'Bara Bara Cannon'!" Pivoting on my heel I saw Buggy detach one of his hands again. "Cabaji!" He called to his subordinate. "I'll hold him there, so finish Zoro off!"

"Yes, Captain!" The circus pirate responded from the air.

"Bastards!" I shouted as the hand shot towards me with speed. If I was caught then I was going to get skewered!

But that hand never reached me.

Instead it was stomped into the ground my a sandal clad foot that belonged to my captain. Luffy crushed the hand with his heel, causing Buggy to wail from where he stood, face contorted in pain.

"This is Zoro's fight!" Luffy warned, a dangerous expression on his face. "Don't interfere!"

"You asshole!" The Clown Captain screeched.

"Even without Captain's help killing you will be a piece of cake!" The acrobat roared, closing in on me as he fell from a great height, sword pointed straight at me.

At the last second I jumped out of the way, skidding across the ground. My side was throbbing as my breath came out in short huffs. "Enough." I muttered. "I'm tired."

"What?! You're tired?" The cyclist laughed, resting the blunt of his blade against his shoulder as he steadied himself on his unicycle. "I guess it was obvious that you'd surrender eventually. I mean, you can barely stand." He mocked, running a hand through his strange, uneven hair.

During his stupid monologue I rose to my feet, too pissed to feel much pain. I swung my leg hard against his side, mirroring his own attacks, kicking him to the ground. He glared up at me with disdain as I used my height to tower over him. "I meant I'm tired of my opponent being someone with such pitiful sword skills!"

Rage poured from my opponent as he leapt to his feet. "Then let me finish you off with my real sword skill!" He roared as he charged, swords ready to attack.

Before he could do any damage I cut him down slashing though his flesh. I made sure that his wound's weren't enough to kill him, but they were enough to hurt like a bitch.

"Damn it!" The swordsman whimpered as he fell to the ground, bleed profusely. "To lose to a common thief is just shameful."

"I'm not a thief." I corrected, sheathing my swords and reaching up to pull off my bandana. My breath came out in short pants as I ran a hand through my short, sweaty hair. "I'm a pirate!" Then my legs buckled beneath me and gave out, letting me collapse on the ground. I looked to Luffy, smiling slightly. "Hey Luffy, I'm gonna sleep."

"Yeah, you sleep." He smiled at me. "Now I'll finish this." I fell asleep feeling the warmth and satisfaction from knowing that I fought well.

And won.

* * *

><p>"Oi Zoro! Get up!" Luffy woke me up, patting me on my back as I continued to lay face down on the ground. "Let's go already."<p>

"Ugh." I groaned, pushing myself into a sitting position, the movement making me dizzy. "Did you finish him off already?"

"Yeah!" He smiled. "We got the map and treasure too!"

My head was spinning and I held onto it with my hands thinking it would help. "Ah." My wound was still throbbing at my side, but at least it had stopped bleeding. "I don't think I can walk yet."

"Obviously! If you could still walk then you seriously aren't human!" The thief scolded.

"Oh right! I'll go wake up the Chief!" Luffy declared, ignoring the redhead.

"Hey, you there."

We all turned to see a mob of angry people gathering in the plaza, all brandishing an array of strange weapons. "We're the citizens of this village. What happened here?" One of them questioned. "If you know anything then please tell us." They implored, momentarily pacified until the saw their village chief lying unconscious on the ground.

"Chief!"

"What happened here?!" They rushed to gather around Boodle, holding him up slightly while attempting to coax him into consciousness.

"This must've been the work of those good for nothing pirates!"

"Oh, sorry about that." Luffy apologized, hand resting behind his hat covered head. "I did it!" His tone wasn't apologetic in the slightest.

"What?!" The villagers shouted, expressions turning dark and dangerous.

"How dare you do that to our beloved chief!"

"And who the hell are you?! Are you pirates too?!" The mob of villagers questioned, weapons raised and ready.

"Yeah, we're pirates." Luffy stated proudly.

That sent the villagers into a frenzy, along with the thief who beat Luffy over the head. At the same time I couldn't contain my laughter. For some reason the sight of it all was just too much for me.

But the mood changed when the villagers started chasing us. Luffy grabbed me, throwing my limp arm around his shoulders while his own looped around my waist. I probably would've protested more to the close proximity, even if he was helping me but there was one thing that distracted me.

Luffy really needed a bath.

"Don't let them get away!" The villagers shouted as they chased us through the town.

"You'll pay for what you did to our chief!"

"Why the hell did you do tell them that!?" The thief scolded as we ran frantically, both the redhead and Luffy carried half of the treasure.

"This is a good village." My captain commented. "For the Chief, a single person, they're getting that mad!" He smiled. "They'll still be angry at us no matter what we say!"

We sprinted quickly, turning into an alleyway. Having to carry all of that treasure along with my relatively limp body made us slow. They'd catch up to us sooner rather than later.

If it wasn't for ShuShu blocking the villager's way, barking ferociously with the same determined stare that he had while the pet store was still in one piece.

"ShuShu! Move out of the way!" One of the mob pleaded, kept back by the white dog. He kept the villagers out of the alleyway, making us able to run all the way back to where we had docked our ships.

"Why do we always end up leaving town like criminals." The girl lamented.

"Well we got the map so who cares?"

Without much distraction, except for the three Buggy pirates that led me to this island showing up and declaring that the want revenge against the thief only to run off when I glared at them, we were able to load up the ships quickly and set off. It was time to leave this island and head to the next one. The weather was clear and a good wind filled our sails. It'd be a good time to take a nap.

"Stop right there you morons!"

The Chief stood tall at the docks, tears gathering behind his cracked spectacles. He had lost his strange armor, but panting heavily. "I'm sorry you guys! I owe you!" He shouted from his spot on the shore, waving goodbye.

"Don't worry about it!" Luffy called to Boodle. "Just be sure to live happy lives!"

It was peaceful for a bit after that. Until the thief, who I found out was called Nami, counted her treasure and found out that half of it was missing. Specifically the half that Luffy was carrying. She was furious to find out that Luffy had left it back on the island for the villagers to rebuild their town. They made quite a show of the argument.

I have a feeling things are going to get a lot more interesting around here.


	7. Chapter 7

**I'm real sorry about the late update and I feel like crap about it, but One Piece hasn't been that interesting for me lately and haven't really felt motivated to pick up my pen. But excuses are shit. Obligatory Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece.**

**And special thanks to Devlin Dracul, without you this chapter would've come out even later. Reviews really keep me motivated so that you all for the encouragement! You don't know how much it means to me to know that people actually like what I write.**

**So thank you all so much.**

Just like they did on the island, Luffy and Nami were arguing the entire time we were at sea. While it was amusing at first, it got annoying really quickly. It was too loud to take a nap so I was left leaning against the wooden railing of our small boat, soaking up the sunlight while blocking out the two's rambling.

For the most part.

It was when Nami starting hitting our captain is when I felt it was a god time to interject. "I'm hungry." I commented casually. I turned to the redhead who sat in her own boat, which was sailing parallel to ours. "Hey, give us some food."

"You guys are idiots." She sighed, exhausted. "You didn't bring any food or water and you think your going to make it to the Grand Line?!" She scolded and was going to be more her rant if she wasn't interrupted by Luffy.

"Oh! I see something!" He announced, hands shielding his eyes from the sun. "I think it's an island!"

"Its a miracle you two have made it this long." She muttered to herself. Despite her previous protests she tossed me a small loaf of bread. With a nod of gratitude I bit into the loaf, it wasn't very fresh but was still good.

"Anyway, this island is no good." She said when she looked through a pair of binoculars that she had in her boat. "It's uninhabited, there wont be a village or anything."

But, as per usual, Luffy wasn't paying any attention to her. Instead he had already started paddling towards the island, leaving Nami and her boat behind. It didn't take long to reach the island, Nami showing up a few minutes later, upset about getting left behind. Luffy and Nami stood on the shore and began heading towards the island. Without the two of them around things quieted down and my mind becoming peaceful, eyes drooping.

I figure Luffy could take care of himself and allowed myself to fall asleep in the pleasantly warm sun.

* * *

><p>Setting sail again, history repeats itself as Nami started to scold Luffy again about poor planning and lack of supplies. That continued until we dock our ships on a small, green island to get the supplies that the thief felt were necessary.<p>

"Is there a village here or what?" Luffy questioned. "I don't see any."

"Yeah, there's a small town nearby. We should be able to get everything we need in the local market there." Nami reassured our captain, smiling as she checked her map.

Sometimes I catch myself looking at our newest crewmember and admiring her beauty. Her figure was also impressive, along her bust and I can't help but wondering what I would be like if I became a girl again.

Would I feminine?

Would I be pretty?

Would I still be a swordsman?

Thoughts like these haven't crossed my mind in what seems like forever. But then again I've haven't been around a girl for any prolonged period of time since Kuina died. After that it wasn't hard to start my life as a boy.

Then something in the distance caught my eye. "Hey," I interrupted Nami's and Luffy's conversation. "I just noticed." They turned to look at me as I turned to the small group. "They turned to look at me as I turned to the small group hiding behind a nearby hill. "What are you doing over there?"

The three smaller of the group scrambled away, shrieking as the tallest yelled after them. Then the taller one, with an unusually long nose, stood tall and proud, crossing his arms over his chest. "I am the great Pirate Fleet Leader Usopp! I am in charge of the safety of this village! You can call me Captain Usopp!" He proclaimed, bravado thick in his voice.

I can already tell that this guy was full of shit.

Up close it became clear that this guy was about our age, but appeared to be rather scrawny. And it was hard not to stare at his nose.

"If you want what's best for you the you better rethink attacking this village because my eighty million men won't show you any mercy!" This Usopp guy warned, gloating slightly.

I was right. He's full of shit.

"You're lying, aren't you." Nami stated, sure of her accusation.

"Wha! I've been found out!" The long-nose screeched, grasping at his head.

"He actually admitted it..."

"Augh! Really?" He scolded himself, blaming poor preparation.

"You're really funny!" Luffy broke out into a fit of laughter, clutching at his stomach that apparently ached from his giggles.

"Don't underestimate me!" Usopp cried. "I am a proud man! There a reason why everyone call me Honorable Usopp!"

"Yeah right."

* * *

><p>In the town's local tavern the four of us gathered for a good meal, and a fair amount of liquor. It was probably a sight to see: a liar, a thief, a pirate captain, and a swordsman.<p>

"So you're looking for more crewmembers?" Usopp questioned, continuing without waiting for an answer. "And a big ship too?"

"Yeah!" Luffy confirmed, tearing into a large piece of meat.

"There's only one place here to get the supplies you want." The liar said, leaning on the table with his elbows. "Although its not a very big ship but its not small either."

"Really? Where" Nami questioned as she set her glass down on the table and giving the town local her full attention.

"There's a rich family that has a mansion close to this village. They have a ship." He paused. "But the owner is a young girl, real sickly and has to stay in bed all day."

"Eh? Then how does she have a mansion?" Nami asked.

"Hey! More food please!" Luffy called out to the owner of the tavern.

"And some more sake too!" I added as I drained the last drop from my glass.

"Are you even listening to me?!" The long-nosed male shouted, going rigid with anger. Then he went on to explain the young girl inherited the manor after her parents passed away from an illness.

At the end of Usopp's tale, Nami just hung her head and sighed while Luffy dug into a new plate of meat, me with my own new mug. "Never mind. Lets look for a ship somewhere else."

"Yeah, but we're in no hurry, so lets eat more meat!" Luffy added after swallowing his food. "And even more for the trip too!"

"And some booze." I agreed.

"Wait." Usopp said, making us pause our planning. "You guys said you were looking for more crewmembers right?"

"Yeah. You know anyone who'd want to join?"

"Make me you captain and I'll join you!" He offered, pointing his thumb at his chest.

Our trio of a crew simultaneously hung our heads, dejected. "Never mind."

"What kind of attitude is that?!"

After that the conversation halted and eventually Usopp left, saying something about having to protect this village from any other pirate that may attack in his absence. It was all a probably a lie, so I didn't really pay him much attention.

Not much longer after the liar left three small children burst into the tavern, raving about finding their leader.

"Yum! That meat was really good!" Luffy belched, patting his slightly distended stomach.

"Ugh! He ate the captain!" The three cried.

I gave them a dark smile, resting my cheek in the palm of my hand. "Oh, your captain? We ate him."

They instantly burst into tears, screaming for the loss of their captain. I didn't even care that the thief was yelling at me, I was just to immersed in my own laughter.

Once the three had regained their wits we were able to actually discuss our next move and the location of their 'captain'. The three told us that he had been telling that sickly rich girl stories everyday for the past year to make her feel better about losing her parents. Upon hearing that my opinion of that liar changed for the better.

"All right!" Luffy announced, standing up from his seat. "Lets go to that mansion and ask for a ship!"


End file.
